


Undone

by Woodface



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-17
Updated: 2014-02-17
Packaged: 2018-01-12 21:13:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1200866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Woodface/pseuds/Woodface
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The plane lands smoothly, but Ariadne feels sick regardless. No one has spoken since they woke up, she's not sure there's anything to say.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Undone

**Author's Note:**

> Right after the movie came out, my muse insisted on writing a bunch of Inception fics. It took over my mind in what was a period of prolificness that I hadn't experienced in ages. It finished the fics and was then quite content to let things be and not touch them again. As I never did find a betareader, I forgot about them. I'm giving these a second chance now. Sadly, it's still unbetaed, but hopefully its flaws can be forgiven.

The plane lands smoothly, but Ariadne feels sick regardless. No one has spoken since they woke up, she's not sure there's anything to say. Her mind is completely blank but she knows that won't last for long. Behind her, she hears Arthur get up and open the overhead bin. He's talking in a low murmur, but she can't make out the words. Her eyes are fixed on Cobb at the other side of the isles. He looks peaceful and she half expects him to open his eyes and grin because they did it. They did the impossible.

Fischer casts him a look as he heads out of the cabin, Eames and Yusuf follow after him and Ariadne still can't move. Cobb and Saito aren't going to get up. She can't breath. She stiffens when Arthur lays a hand on her shoulder. He's been talking to her, but she has no idea what he's been saying and she looks up at him with wide eyes. His face is unreadable, there's no emotion there, only patience and he reaches down to undo her seatbelt, then takes her hand and draws her up. She wants to step closer, wrap her arms around his waist and hold on to him, but he's already let go and is grabbing her backpack.

"Go," he says clearly, pushing it into her hands. "I'll take care of this."

She wants to argue, but when she meets his eyes, she knows there's no point. He isn't going to budge. He thinks Cobb is his responsibility and she's too much of the new girl to tell him otherwise. He turns away from her, towards Cobb and she can do nothing but watch as he places his hand on the side of Cobb's neck, looking for a pulse.

"Ariadne," he says quietly, not looking back at her.

She nods and then she's gone. Out of the airplane and through security. She's in line for customs when the commotion starts. A medical team escorted by airport security rush past and towards her gate. She wants to turn back, go back to Arthur and tell him she's not letting him go through this alone, but the officer calls her forward and she goes.

***

It's a week later when he finally calls her. She's spent her time crashing on the couch of a high school friend. She's been going through the motions, letting her friend take her sightseeing. Sunset Boulevard has little to offer when you've built entire cities that defy gravity and logic. Arthur's voice is the first thing that manages to break through the numbness of the past few days and she wraps her arm around her chest protectively, presses the phone closer to her ear.

"Ariadne," he sounds tired and a little broken. She can't imagine Arthur broken. He's supposed to be solid lines and integrity.

"Hey!" she, on the other hand, sounds pathetically eager and grateful. "Where are you?"

"Centinela Hospital."

She swallows and nods blankly. She doesn't ask how Cobb is, she doesn't want to hear it over the phone. "I'm coming," she says and hangs up. She doesn't have the patience to find out the directions and flags the first cab she sees.

***

There's a cop outside Cobb's room and for just an instant Ariadne thinks he must be awake and if he's awake, then Saito must be as well and this can all work out. It lasts as long as it takes her to enter the room. Her eyes fall on Cobb first. He doesn't look pale or sick at all, despite the machines they've hooked him up to. He looks much like he had on the plane, like any moment he'd open his eyes and smile at them, because he can finally go home. Except for the cop outside and that means Saito's either not woken up or he's not keeping his promise. She can't imagine he wouldn't.

She moves towards the bed and reaches out, touching the back of Cobb's hand. He feels warm, but he doesn't move and she wonders how long he's been stuck there in limbo now. Arthur could probably tell her, but she doesn't really want to know. The thought makes her look back at the figure sitting in a chair a good distance from the bed. He looks exactly like he sounded on the telephone. A few strands of hair have escaped his usual rigid hairstyle, his tie is loose and his suit is crumbled. He hasn't shaved in days and she guesses he probably hasn't slept in as long either.

Arthur's leaning forward in his chair, his elbows propped on his knees and he's rolling the red die between his hands as he looks up at her. He looks worse than Cobb does and she takes a step closer. He doesn't protest when she brushes her fingers through his hair, he just closes his eyes and he tilts his head into her touch, reminding her of a lost puppy starved for affection. She must be losing her mind if she goes comparing Arthur to a puppy. He's so different now. His posture is one of defeat, sagged shoulders replacing the confident line they usually are. When she looks down, she notices his hands are fists now, the knuckles white and she hears him draw in a sharp breath.

"Do you have somewhere to stay?" she asks quietly, her fingers sliding to the back of his neck. He's all tension there and she imagines how sore he must be.

"Yes," he answers after a moment's silence. "Why?" She knows he's probably guessed where she's heading with this, but she figures it's her turn to be patient.

"Because you look like shit and if you don't go clean up and get some rest, I might just drag you there and make you," she promises him. "And trust me, there'll be pictures and I'll make sure Eames get them so you'll never live it down." Turns out she isn't so good at being patient.

He makes a face at her, but she swears that there's a ghost of a smile on his lips. "If I knew you were going to come here and boss me around, I wouldn't have called."

"Yes, you would," she informs him. She hadn't been so sure of that only hours ago, but now she just knows.

His gaze shifts behind her, to the bed where Cobb is lying motionless. "I can't leave him here alone," he says stubbornly.

She rolls her eyes and moves away, plopping down in the chair beside him. "He won't be. I'll be here."

"You should listen," Professor Miles is standing in the door opening, holding two cups of coffee. He hands one to Arthur who automatically takes it from him with a nod of thanks. "We both know what happens when you don't listen to the fairer sex."

Arthur snorts, but it's a humourless sound. He takes one sip from the coffee, then hands it to her. "Careful. It's warm," he warns and gets up. He plucks his vest from the back of his chair and pulls it on. "I'll be back later," he promises and she watches him trying to straighten his hair as he heads outside.

Ariadne cradles the cup of coffee and now that Arthur's gone, her attention moves back to Cobb. She's almost forgotten about Professor Miles when his voice pulls her out of the images that have been burning at the back of her mind for days now. "How are you doing?"

There's a quiet concern in his words and when Ariadne opens her mouth, she can't give him anything but the truth. It rushes out from her, as if she'd been waiting for this exact moment as she tells him everything.

***

She must have dozed off, because she can't remember exactly what happened after she finished telling Cobb about her day trip to Avignon over spring break and she's certain she would have remembered Arthur returning. She studies him (after checking that Cobb is still there, still sleeping) as he hasn't noticed her waking up yet . His jaw is smooth, his hair is brushed back neatly and he's wearing a clean suit. He looks much more like the Arthur she remembers, but there's still a hint of a shadow underneath his eyes and he looks more vulnerable than she's ever imagined he could be.

"How much sleep did you get?" she questions and gazes at her watch. It's been almost seven hours since she made him leave here. She's got no idea where he's staying, but adding the commute and the time to shower, she bets it's too little.

"Enough," he lies and leans down to grab a bag.

She takes it from him with a frown and opens it. There's a wrapped sandwich and a soda can inside. "Thanks," she says as she pulls the sandwich out. It has her favourite toppings, but the bread tastes too sweet and she misses France. The next few minutes are filled with her chewing and she hopes he can't actually hear that. It's a stupid thing to worry about when his best friend and her mentor is lying a few feet away, stuck in his own head. "Can he still wake up?" she asks.

He tenses and keep his eyes on Cobb. "I don't know. Cobb's the only person I know who's ever gone that deep. By now he's been in there for centuries. His brain should be mush, but they're still registering activity. I don't know," he repeats, shaking his head. She thinks he does know, but he doesn't want to say it and she doesn't want to hear him say it either.

"If anyone can, it's Cobb," she says firmly.

He nods, because it's true. Because Cobb is the best and they both know it.

She dumps the empty paper in the bag, wipes her fingers on the napkin and grabs the soda can. It isn't cold anymore and she subtracts another hour from the time he must have slept. "I shot her," she says as she settles back in her chair.

For the first time since she woke up, he's looking at her. "You shot Mal?"

"She didn't give me much choice," Ariadne protests, instantly on the defensive.

Arthur shakes his head, gives her a reassuring almost smile and maybe that little bit of sleep helped at least. "I don't doubt it. That projection's nothing like Mal. I should have..." he scowls and looks away, his face set in a tight grimace.

"Don't," she says firmly. He's leaning so far forward now that she can't make out his face, but his fingers are rubbing at the back of his neck. She remembers the tension there and if it wasn't for the chairs and the awkward position, she'd lean forward and do that for him. "He knew how to hide it from you."

"I'm the point man," he objects, nearly growling. "It's my job to figure these things out."

Arthur doubting himself feels wrong in every way. He's solid, he's the presence just a step behind her who keeps her in check while she lets her imagination loose. Now she watches him crumble and she's hard pressed for words to fix someone who's supposed to do the fixing. She remembers the argument in Yusuf's dream, the accusations Cobb had thrown at him and wonders if they're the last words they've spoken. "He did this to us, not the other way around, Arthur."

He doesn't answer and she reaches out, resting her hand on his arm. "If you want to blame anyone, you should blame me."

His head snaps up and he looks honestly surprised at her words. She didn't think he could be surprised. "Why would I blame you?"

"Oh, I don't know," she says casually and pulls her hand away as sinks back in her seat. "Maybe because I knew what was going on and I didn't stop him? Because I should have told you, especially when he seemed so hell bent on keeping it from you. Because I should have grabbed him and pulled him with me when I jumped out of limbo. He was right there, I should have... I thought he'd find Saito, I thought he could do it." She can't make out his reaction as everything's a blur and she stiffens, waiting for him to shout, to get angry.

She wipes at her eyes and he's suddenly right there, squatting in front of her chair and she didn't even hear him get up. He's looking up at her and for a moment, she sees the Arthur she's used to. The one who'd quietly stand beside her as she created impossible mazes. "It wasn't fair of him to put that on you," he says quietly and his fingers curl around her calf. "You got baptised by fire."

She gives a humourless laugh and reaches out, touching her fingers to his cheek. "I thought I could handle it."

His eyes darken and she feels his fingers tighten through the jeans. "Do you have anywhere to stay?" he asks, giving her a crooked smile.

"Yeah, I'm staying at a friend's place," she says softly. She traces a finger along his cheekbone, studying his face and she can almost read him. Almost. "I don't want to go there," she hears herself say. "It's..."

He saves her from having to finish the thought. "I know. Come on, you can crash at my place while I'm here with Cobb."

She blinks at the offer, but it doesn't sound like a bad idea and when he gets up, she follows him.

***

It turns out Arthur rented a small studio and she wonders if he's been planning on sticking around LA for a while. He only stays with her long enough to show her where the towels are. He apologises for the lack of food, but there's a nightstore around the corner if she wants. Then he's out the door and she's left standing in a room that feels like Arthur despite how he hasn't spent more than a few hours here.

She collapses on the bed and he must have slept at least a little, because she can smell his aftershave on the pillows. She takes the scent with her in her dreams and when Mal asks her if she's ever had a lover, she doesn't feel quite as naked.

***

Somehow her clothes end up at his studio. It isn't quite as sinful as it sounds as they hardly ever spent any time together there. Most of the day, she sits by Cobb's bed. Arthur shows up around dinner time, bringing her take out or the promise of food waiting for her at his place. They sit together for a while before Ariadne retreats to his studio and then relieves him again in the morning. They never make the agreement in words, it just happens and they slide into the schedule easily. When her family calls, she lies and pretends she's still in Paris. She thinks they have their suspicions that something's going on, but she highly doubts any of her family or old friends could guess where she's ended up.

It's two weeks later when she returns to the hospital to find the cop gone. For a moment, she can't move as she panics. There's only one reason she can think why the cop would be gone and she promises herself she's going to shout at Arthur for not calling her. She bursts through the door, ready to find the bed empty and Arthur gone. Ready to start a witch hunt to find him and scold him, possibly hit him because he can't just walk away from her. Except that Cobb is still right there, still looks exactly the same and Arthur is in his usual seat, a paper folded on his thigh, but he isn't reading.

"What's going on?" she demands. The panic isn't gone, there's still a chance that the doctors have decided that Cobb won't wake up again.

"Saito woke up," Arthur replies, saying the one thing she hadn't come up with.

"Cobb?"

Arthur shakes his head and he's frowning at his friend. "Nothing."

"But he got Saito out," Ariadne reasons. If he did, then Cobb should be following soon.

"No, Saito got himself out," Arthur looks up at her. "They're not sharing the dream anymore, they haven't since we unhooked them on the plane."

Right. She knew that and yet, for just one moment... "But this means there's hope still. If Saito woke up, he's just the tourist, right? Cobb's the pro here, it can be done and obviously Saito didn't go insane because he remembered the deal."

"It gives him better chances," Arthur agrees, but she knows what he's thinking. She's thinking it too. Maybe Cobb hadn't been able to let go of Mal, maybe this is where he wants to be.

She wonders if he'd hear it all the way to limbo if she gives him a lecture. She doubts it. "We should get breakfast," she decides. "Outside of the hospital. I'm sick of this place."

He looks reluctant, like he always does when he has to leave Cobb and she wonders how long they can keep this going. Then again, she's not ready to give up either and she lets Arthur wrap his arm around her shoulders as they head out.

***

Another two weeks pass. Saito shows up to check on Cobb. When she asks him how he got out, he only shrugs and says he can't remember. Ariadne doesn't believe him, but she lets him talk to Cobb alone when he asks her. She spends her whole day sitting on the tip of her chair after that, waiting for some kind of miracle that never happens because Cobb's a stubborn bastard.

The next few days slowly drag themselves by and Ariadne is there with Professor Miles when the doctor shows up and asks for a word. She's already rising from her chair when the old professor motions for her to stay. She doesn't really want to hear, but she does anyway.

***

She finds Arthur sprawled out on the bed. Despite sharing so many dreams together, it's the first time she's actually seen him sleeping. She's loathe to wake him now and she takes the scenic route to the bed, stopping at the chair where he's folded his suit neatly. She fingers the lapels and feels the soft fabric, knowing exactly how well it fits him when he's wearing it. She bans the thought quickly from her mind, there's no place for it now, and she turns to the bed.

He strangely enough doesn't wear pyjamas, she supposes he doesn't believe in clothes that don't come with ties. Arthur seems to come in different incarnations and she thinks if she can just manage to combine them all, that she'll be able to figure out who he really is. He looks completely relaxed now, his face is open, devoid of the careful mask he wears when he's awake. She sits down on the edge of the bed and carefully brushes his hair back behind his ear. It's tempting to just fit herself against his body and go to sleep, forgetting what she came here for.

She knows she can't, because Professor Miles is waiting. Cobb is waiting. Her hand slides down the back of his neck. She can feel the knots and this time she doesn't stop herself, her fingers move over the taut muscles. He lets out a hiss and moan and presses his face further in the pillow, but she can make out her name regardless. She's a bit smug at that and she finds that she's allowed to be. He stretches, his arms sliding under the pillows, but somehow he manages not to dislodge her hand and she takes it as encouragement.

Apparently he's slow to wake up and it feels like an age before he finally moves under her hands and rolls around to frown up at her. "Why are you here?"

She can't meet his eyes and stares at her hand, now resting on his chest instead.

"Cobb?" he demands, moving to sit up in a swift, brusque movement. She wants to pull back, but he grabs her hand, holds on a little too tightly. "Ariadne?"

"Maybe Professor Miles should-," she starts, but he leans forward, moves right into her personal space and she can't breath.

"No," he says firmly. "You tell me now."

As much as she wants to, she can't look away. He's still half naked, his hair falling forward, but his mask is right back into place. "He's brain dead," she says, watching his face for a reaction that doesn't come. "The activity they've been registering, it just stopped."

"When?"

"Yesterday evening," she wonders if they'd been there together at the time. Hopes that they were, even if it wouldn't have mattered to Cobb. It matters to her. "The doctors think it might be time to let him go. Professor Miles agrees."

He swears underneath his breath and gets up from the bed. In two strides he's across the room and grabs his suit, disappearing inside the bathroom with it. She closes her eyes as she hears the water streaming and sucks in a breath. She can't imagine what's going to happen next. They'll bury Cobb and then... Everything stops. She thinks of France, of her family. Thinks of sleeping in a bed that doesn't carry his scent.

She's off on her feet then and quickly makes the bed as she waits for Arthur to finish. He doesn't take too long, all traces of the man she's caught sleeping are gone now. He's hard lines, his shoulders squared stubbornly and she can't read him at all. She just follows him out of the apartment, but he doesn't so much as acknowledge that she's there. She has to jog to keep up with him and by the time she makes it out of the door of their building, he's already in the car. She gets an annoyed look when she climbs in, but at least he hasn't gone off without her.

They don't talk, she can't think of anything more to say. She's too much aware of how little she knows about Cobb and Arthur. He seems close to losing it, but even as he grips the steering wheel too tightly, he's still not speeding. Always in control, even now, and maybe he actually does need to snap and lose it. He doesn't, at least not where she can see. They talk quietly to Professor Miles and a while later, she and her old professor give Arthur some room. He's in there for a while and when he emerges, the anger's gone. He just looks exhausted, much like how she found him the first day she'd come to the hospital.

He thanks Professor Miles and apologises, but he can't stay. She only gets a brief look before he disappears down the hallway, but she knows he doesn't want her to follow and she needs to be here. She didn't get to bring Cobb back with her, so it seems only fair that she sees him off now.

***

She spends the rest of the week at Miles' house (he insists she finally drops the professor part), getting to know Cobb's children. It seems so unfair and she feels trapped inside that house. At night, she dreams of elevators leading her through memories that aren't hers. Mal is there, Cobb's only present in his absence. She misses the studio, misses the suits that are supposed to hang inside the wardrobe. It makes her want to grab her phone in the middle of the night just to hear his voice. It's stupid and juvenile so she doesn't. Neither does he, so when she finally sees him next, it's at Cobb's funeral.

Eames, Yusuf and Saito are there, long before Arthur arrives. They come sit with her and they talk in hushed voices, mostly about where they've been since the Fischer job. None of them can seem to bring Cobb up. The ceremony has almost started by the time Arthur makes his entrance. Ariadne takes the chance to study him while he makes his way over to them, making sure that he's alright. As much as he can be right now. He still looks tired, but he's more collected than she's seen him in weeks.

"Move," he tells Eames who's taken the seat beside her. Yusuf's on her other side, but Arthur has his priorities.

"Sorry, luv," Eames grins up at him. "Should have come sooner if you wanted to sit by a pretty lady. Guess you'll have to make do with Saito."

Arthur narrows his eyes, but Ariadne touches Eames shoulder quickly. The last thing this funeral needs is Eames and Arthur bickering, even if Cobb is used to it.

Eames sighs theatrically, but he shifts to the other chair. "The things I do for you," he laments.

"Yeah, you're practically a saint," Arthur grumbles and he drops in the seat beside her.

There's no time to talk now and she's certain he's planned it exactly that way. The ceremony starts and for the next hour, she's struggling to keep it together. It doesn't work, of course it doesn't. She cries at funerals for people she doesn't even know. It's too much to hear of Mal and his children, to hear of what he's lost and what he's left behind. She's holding on to Arthur's hand much too tightly, but she can't even remember if she reached for him or he for her. It doesn't really matter. He's there. Solid and present, and he doesn't leave her side.

Afterwards, their team ends up at the same table in Miles' garden. It's the first time she actually hears Arthur talking about his past with Cobb and Mal, and she ends up listening to him and Eames telling whatever story pops into their minds. She pieces all the little things together, forming a picture not only of Cobb and Mal, but of the team they had. By the time most people are leaving, she doesn't quite feel like she's going to break apart anymore.

She's in the kitchen, doing dishes when Arthur follows her in. He wordlessly picks up a towel and helps. They manage not to get in each other's way, and the times he brushes past her, she's sure he's doing it on purpose to get her attention. It's pointless, he's already got it.

"Are you coming back?" he asks finally, leaning against the counter as he dries off a handful of knives. His jacket is carefully draped over the back of a kitchen chair and the sleeves of his shirt are rolled up, making him look practically casual.

She stops washing off the dish and stares at him. "Come back where?" She's not really playing dumb, it just catches her off guard.

"My place," he says, raising an eyebrow at her as if she should really know this by now. "Your things are still there, so it seems more practical."

"Practical," she repeats. It's not quite the argument she'd like to hear, but then it's Arthur and she can't expect miracles. "I don't want to get in the way."

The knives one by one disappear into the drawer. "What if I want you to get in the way?"

She stares down at the soapy dish, trying not to pay attention to the images her mind happily conjures. Most of them seem to include a dishevelled, shirtless Arthur, much like the one she'd woken up.

The drawer closes with a soft thump and she's too aware of Arthur moving behind her, his hands coming to rest on either side of her on the counter. She rubs furiously at an imaginary spot on the dish while trying to ignore the way his breath tickles her ear.

"Say yes," he murmurs, his lips brushing her skin and she shivers.

"I don't know," she tries to hold on to coherent thought. Everything's been a blur after Cobb died and somewhere she figured she'd go home before returning to France. Those plans die right about the time his arms wrap around her waist and his teeth graze the back of her neck. She struggles, because it's a decision she should make when she's clear minded, not when his lips are playing across her skin and making her forget about anything else.

He bites softly when she fails to give him an answer and he takes the dish from her hands, places it back into the water before he forces her to turn. "Are you coming back?" he repeats when she's finally looking up at him.

She can't really look away, because it's the first time that she can read him, that she can understand him. There's grief and loss there, but there's hope and that's for her and she can't turn it down. She nods and then he's kissing her. She's leaving foam and wet spots on his shirt as her hands slide up his chest and shoulders. He's still too tense, but she thinks she knows exactly how to get rid of it.


End file.
